HMG dosage: IU chart, label schedule and vial math
The FDA label for Menopur starts women in an assisted reproduction cycle at 225 IU a day under the skin, adjusts by up to 150 IU at a time, and caps it at 450 IU a day for up to 20 days. The label has no dose for men. Menotropins is an approved prescription drug in the US and Canada.
Legal status
US Approved, prescription
Canada Authorized, prescription
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is HMG?HMG dosage chart
Label scheduleThis vial is labelled in IU, so the doses are in IU too.
| Dose | Volume | Syringe units | 0.3 mL syringe | 0.5 mL syringe | 1 mL syringe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 IU | Takes 3 whole vials of 75 IU | ||||
| 450 IU | Takes 6 whole vials of 75 IU | ||||
Source Schedule from the FDA label for Menopur (menotropins), for women in an assisted reproduction cycle: 225 IU a day to start and no more than 450 IU a day, for up to 20 days. Each dose takes more than one 75 IU vial. The label has no dose for men; one published study in men used 75 IU three times a week with hCG. Vial math is arithmetic.
Every dose on record is more than one 75 IU vial, so each dose uses whole vials and there is no part-vial draw to work out.
What HMG is
Menotropins is a preparation of gonadotropins with FSH and LH activity, extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women. Each Menopur vial holds 75 IU of FSH activity and 75 IU of LH activity. [1]
Other names: menotropins, menotrophin, human menopausal gonadotropin, hMG, HP-hMG, Menopur.
How it has been given to people: injection under the skin on the US Menopur label; injection into a muscle in an older study in men.
What to know before reading a dose
- The approved use is in women, as part of an assisted reproduction cycle run by a fertility specialist with ultrasound and blood monitoring. The label has no dose for men.
- Every label dose takes more than one 75 IU vial: 225 IU is three vials and the 450 IU maximum is six.
- The label says to use the solution straight after mixing and discard the rest. It is not labelled for keeping a mixed vial.
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome was reported in 6.2% of women in the label's IVF trials.
- The one dose found for men, 75 IU three times a week with hCG 2000 IU, comes from a 1988 study of 11 men with complete hypogonadotropic hypogonadism [4]. It is not a label dose.
- Menotropins has LH activity. WADA Prohibited List 2026, section [2].2.1, lists luteinizing hormone among testosterone-stimulating peptides prohibited in males [7].
Doses on record for HMG
Every dose below was given in a human study or printed on an approved label, and each links to its source. Doses set by body weight are left that way.
| From | Where it was used | Dose | How often | For how long | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Label | Menopur (US), starting dose in an assisted reproduction cycle | 225 IU | once daily | 5 days before the first adjustment | [1] |
| Label | Menopur (US), dose adjustment | steps of no more than 150 IU | no more often than every 2 days | until follicles have developed | [1] |
| Label | Menopur (US), maximum daily dose | 450 IU | once daily | no more than 20 days | [1] |
| Human study | Randomized, open-label IVF trial described in section 14 of the US Menopur label | 225 IU, then individualized up to 450 IU | once daily | up to 20 days of stimulation | [1] |
| Human study | Two-year comparison of hCG plus hMG with pulsatile GnRH in men (phase not stated in the abstract), injection into a muscle | 75 IU FSH with 75 IU LH, given with hCG 2000 IU | three times a week | 2 years | [4] |
What the evidence shows
Each finding is tagged by the kind of study it comes from. Human trials are listed first.
In 731 women having IVF, the ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle was 27% on highly purified hMG and 22% on recombinant FSH. [2]
That trial showed hMG was not worse than recombinant FSH; it did not show it was better. [2]
Fewer eggs were retrieved after hMG (10.0) than after recombinant FSH (11.8). [2]
The share of top-quality embryos was higher with hMG when graded at the local clinic but about the same when graded by a central panel. [3]
In the label's IVF trial, 87 of 373 women on Menopur (23%) had a continuing pregnancy after one cycle. [1]
In men with complete hypogonadotropic hypogonadism given hCG plus hMG 75 IU three times a week, none of the hCG/hMG group produced sperm at 12 months and eight of them did at 24 months. [4]
Sperm counts in those men stayed below 5 million per mL. [4]
Side effects and warnings
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- Menopur label, reactions in 2% or more of women in assisted reproduction: abdominal cramps, enlarged abdomen, abdominal pain, headache, injection site pain, reaction and inflammation, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). [1]
- In the two IVF trials on the label (434 women), OHSS was reported in 27 women, 6.2%. [1]
- Inflammation of a vein with a clot was reported in under 1%. [1]
From the label
- The label says it should be used only by physicians experienced in infertility treatment. [1]
- It can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, with or without lung or blood vessel complications, and multiple births. [1]
- Early signs of OHSS are severe pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting and weight gain. [1]
- The label says to use the lowest dose that works. [1]
- Not for women with high FSH levels showing primary ovarian failure. [1]
- Not for use in pregnancy. [1]
- Not for anyone with a sex hormone dependent tumor of the reproductive tract, or a tumor of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. [1]
- Not for anyone with uncontrolled thyroid, adrenal or pituitary disorders. [1]
- Not for anyone with a past hypersensitivity reaction to Menopur, menotropins products or one of their ingredients. [1]
Storage
Menopur (US): the dry powder may be kept in the refrigerator or at room temperature, 3 to 25 C (37 to 77 F), away from light. Use it straight after mixing and throw away what is left. [1]
HMG dosage questions
Is HMG approved in the US?
FDA approved. Menopur (Ferring) is the one menotropins product at prescription status in Drugs@FDA; Pergonal, Humegon and Repronex are listed as discontinued.
Is HMG authorized in Canada?
Authorized by Health Canada. Menopur 75 unit vials (Ferring Inc) are listed as marketed; Repronex was cancelled after market in 2019.
What is the half-life of HMG?
FSH from Menopur had an elimination half-life of 11 to 13 hours after repeated doses, by injection under the skin or into a muscle. The label gives no half-life for the LH part.
What does the Menopur (75 IU vial) label say about dose?
Under the skin. 225 IU a day to start, from cycle day 2 or 3. Adjust after 5 days, then no more often than every 2 days and by no more than 150 IU each time. No more than 450 IU a day, and no longer than 20 days.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Menopur (menotropins for injection), US prescribing information, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., label version 47 2018-05-31. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
- Andersen AN et al. Clinical outcome following stimulation with highly purified hMG or recombinant FSH in patients undergoing IVF: a randomized assessor-blind controlled trial. Hum Reprod 2006. PubMed 16873892.
- Ziebe S et al. Influence of ovarian stimulation with HP-hMG or recombinant FSH on embryo quality parameters in patients undergoing IVF. Hum Reprod 2007. PubMed 17640944.
- Liu L et al. Two-year comparison of testicular responses to pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone and exogenous gonadotropins from the inception of therapy in men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1988. PubMed 3142911.
- Drugs@FDA via openFDA: applications with active ingredient menotropins US Food and Drug Administration. api.fda.gov.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: products with active ingredient menotropins, with status lookups Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
- The Prohibited List (2026 list as shown on the WADA website) World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org.
Looked for and not found
- A label dose for men. The US Menopur label covers one use, in women having assisted reproduction. The 75 IU three times a week figure for men is from one study of 11 men [4].
- A randomized trial of hMG in men with sperm output or pregnancy as the endpoint. The search turned up comparisons with GnRH and small series only.
- The Canadian Menopur product monograph was not opened. Label doses, warnings, side effects and storage in this file come from the US label.
- A half-life for the LH activity in menotropins. The US label reports FSH only.
- The daily dose used in the MERIT trial [2], [3]. The abstracts do not state it; the 225 IU starting dose is from the trial description on the US label.
- A newer US label than the one openFDA returns, dated 2018-05-31 (version 47). DailyMed itself was not checked for a later version.
Change log
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